It's a shame Lou is surrounded (as it were) by yes-men, because this would be an ideal time for someone to explain how Lou is hurting himself by continually reinforcing his childhood programming, that only money=love. And now, through misguided love, he's passing that bad meme on to his nephew.
Why not talk to the kid and ask him what he wants to dress as, make him feel valued by an adult, then work on a costume together? I know Lou probably can't sew, but there's a lot that can be done cheaply or free with free time and a little ingenuity.
...Haha, yeah. Lou just wants to buy more spaghetti and D-grade furry art.
Lou is burying the lede, here. Stepdad is going in to the hospital (how did his syncope turn out, btw? and his COVID exposure via the nephew?)
"so he can do dialysis at home."
Unless Stepdad is a real go-getter, this is almost certainly
peritoneal dialysis, where tubes go straight into your abdominal cavity, not your circulatory system. Dialysis is usually overnight, and once the patient gets used to it, it's a lot less limiting than hemodialysis appointments at a clinic.
However:
- Stepdad has early-onset dementia (per Lou)
- Lou is a MRSA carrier
- Their house is cat- and dog-infested
- Dialysis pump is big, nightstand size, and the tubing can be tripped over (albeit not as devastating as tripping on blood-filled HD tubing)
This should be interesting.
It's likely Mama Gags will be going to the patient teaching along with Stepdad, due to the alleged dementia and because you really want a second person in the household who can help troubleshoot during sick days, if the patient's vision worsens, if the patient says "sure yeah" during teaching but doesn't really understand.
Will this be another thing that makes her look at Lou and realize that, of the three humans she's caring for, one of them really ought to be independent? As one's bedroom fills up with blatant medical equipment, it's hard not to reexamine one's life situation.
